Apparatus for steering ships



(No Model.)

Sheet-$heet 1. J. A. TILDEN. APPARATUS FOR STEERING SHIPS.

Patented Nov. 9, 1886.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

J. A. TILDEN. APPARATUS FOR STEERING SHIPS.

No. 352,374. Patented Nov. 9, 1886,

Wine S8 as: W?

' Park, in the county of Norfolk and State of lllassachnsetts, have invented a new'a'nd use- .connection with the drawings which accom-- ally control and operate the rudder of a ship ship upon a desired course whenever from any a =constructed as to operate the rudder, andin UNITED "STATES PATENT .OFFICE.

JAMES. A.-"r1LnEn,1 or HYDE PARK, ASSIGNOR or onn snr ro nnnsnr neoraens, or son'm Bosros, mssscnnsnrrs.

APPARATUS FOR STEERING .-SHIPS- srncmcanon forming part of Letter-Pate t No. 352.314, dated. November 9,1886.

Application filed August 19,1880. Serial at. 15,684. (No man.)-

To all whom it nmy concern: 4

Be it known that I, JAMES A. TILDEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hyde ful Apparatus for Steering Ships; and I hereby' declare that-the following, taken in psny and form part of this specification, is a full and clear description of my invention, sufllci'ent to enable those skilled in the art to practice it.

The object of myinvention is to automatic for the purpose of keeping her upon her course, and to automatically and promptly bring a cause she has been altered therefrom.- I

This invention may be applied to a rudder" of a sailing-vessel by-connecting it with anelectric engine or other "system of magnets sothe same manner it may be applied to vessels propelled by steam. It may also be applied to steam steering gear or engines by connecting it with an electric engine or other system of magnetsso constructed as to operate the valve or. other mechanismregulating the action of steam upon the engine operating the rudder. The description of this invention will be made as applied to a vessel provided with steam steering-gear; but as it is addressed to competent marine engineers and mechanics,

description of details of construction of elec tric engines and other systems of magnets and steam steering-gear, which-are old and well known to them, will be omitted, leaving to themto exercise their professional skill and judgment in connecting it with such steam steering-gear and electric engines or other systems of magnets as they maybe called to prodnce, or such as are already in existence.

the ships compass-needle in such a manner' that the electric engine or other system of magnets will act upon the valve, regulating the steam steering-gear whenever the circuit isclosed, and will cease so to act the instant the 5d circuit is opened;

The second part'of this invention relates to the arrangement of electrodes in such a man; ner that thecurrent of electricity shall be reg ulated through them by the action of the ships compass-needle.

the arrangement of the conductors of the electric'cur'rent in such a manner that the ships compass and compass'bowl in plan' an'd the manner of operation ,bythe action of light.

needle, which is firmly attached to the comcompasscard, so made and placed that rays 'of light can freely pass through .it from asource space within the bowl andbelow the compass card. I The double-dotted circles 1n and m are tubes, of suitable material,-for conducting the braced in my invention. Fig. 2 shows thepass-card B. "s is an opening thr'ough the Thethird-part ofthis invention relates to compass-bowl may be freely revolved upon Referring now'toEig. 2', N- is the compass-1 I of light above or outside the compass into the rays of light which pass throughthe opening s to the sensitive electrodes 0 and 0, which are placed-in the bottoms of the tubes at and m,

supported in the bottom ot the compass-bowl and pass upward within the, compass bowlnearly to the compi reardybnt care should be observed to prevent the upper ends of these .tubes from interfering with the free motion of the compass card and needle. Theseusitive electrodes 0 and o are of metalloid selenium, or other well-known'substance which becomes suitable as a conductor of electricity .whenever acted upon by rays of light, The curved dotted lines a bc c are suitable insucir'cuits. The double-dotted rings j klare ins'ulated metal rings, suitable to conduct electricity, and are firmly fixed in the table C,

Fig. 1.

g respectively. These tubes are firmly fixed and latal wires which form parts of the electric..

the socket M, which socket is firmly fixed to I the base D. H is a wheel firmly fixed to the standard Yzand is providedwith suitablespira'l 1 gearing to. engage with corresponding gear;

in'g upon the shaft F. I is an index firmlyfixed to the standard Y in such manner as to revolve with the standard and to indicate the direction in which the vessel is steered. 'The dotted lines r r show in crosssection a circular plate embedded in the top of the table 0, which plate is marked with the points of the ,compass upon its upper surface. The table 0 is supported upon the base 1) by the supports p 1). E is a shaft which is turned by power applied at the hand-wheel w, which shaft is firmly supported upon the base D by the supports t t, and turns within the'bearings u u. L is a lantern placed in the top of 0 the compass, and is provided with suitable mirrors, z 2, so placed'as to throw the concentrated rays of light downward through the 1 opening a into the space beneath'the compasscard. j k Z are pins placed in the {rame y 3 5 which is .firmly attached to the standard -Y These are of suitable material for conducting electricity, and are so placed that the 'pin j will always maintain-contact with the ring j, and the pin k will always maintain contact 0 with the ring k, and the pin 1" will always maintain contact with the ring I. These pins,

should be held firmly in place in the frame by spiral or other suilablesprings, as shown.

' When it is desiredflthat the ship shall-take a'certain direction, the wheel 10 is turned so :that the point of the index-points tothe point of the compass to which it isdesired the'vessel shall sail. The action of the magnetic needle will then carry thecompass-eard round so that the'opening swill be over one or the other of the tubes m'or m. The rays of light will then render the particular electrode upon which the light falls a conductor of electricity,

, and the electric circuit will be thereby at once closed. As soonas the ship heads to thepoint of the compass to which the index is pointed the rays of light will not fall in either ofthe tubes, and the circuit will thereby be opened. The courses of the electric currents are as 6 follows: An electric generator is connected with the wire h; If the rays of light fall within the tube m, the current will be through thewire h, the ring k,-piu k, wire 0, electrode 0, wire a, pin 1, ring l,wire connected therewith. 5 .to an electric engine which operates the stcarn-valve controlling one side of the steam seas" pass-needle N points, to the magnetic pole the opening s will be directly over a;point half way between the tubes m and 1n.- The tubes m and m are placed at such distance apart that rays of light' which pass through the opening a, when the opening is directly above a point half way between the tubes, will not fall within either of the tubes, and when the bowl is turned in one direction or the other a? very little way, the one or the otherof thetnbes will be brought under theopening, so that the rays of I light will cause the one circuit or the other to be closed. The-index Iis placed so that when the ship is steady upon the desired course-the opening 8' will be directly abovea point half-way between the tubesm and m.

' The practical operation of this invention is substantially asfollows: When. it is desired that the ship shall change her course or keep to a particular course, the compass-bowl A is turned, by powerapplied -to the-wheel w, until the index Ip oints to that point of the com-' pass on the ring r r to which it is. desired the ship shall sail. Bytur'ning thebowl-A in one" direction or the other' one or'theotherof the electrodes 0 or 0' will be brought in contact with the rays of light, and one ortheotherof the electriccircuits, according tothe particular direction the bowl'is turned, will .there'byjbeclosed, and the steam steering-goat will be operated thereby as desired. The instant the ship hea'dst'o the point of the'compass indicated by the index I the needle and-compass card will assume their normal position, and the circuit will be opened by the removaL'of' light from the sensitive electrode. If a sudden gust of wind, or the action .of the waves or currents should change the direction of the ship, the circuit will be at once automatically closed by the action of,light, and the ship willcomeinto her course promptly, and thev instant the, ship comes into the course at which the index Lhas been set the circuit will be automatically and immediate y'opened'.

' When metalloid selenium is used, as I'described, it is only necessarylthat the intensity, of the electric current on the line should be 'ariedjorincreased by the action of light.

Similar letters refer to the same parts'in the drawings. 1

. I claim and desire to secure byLette'rs Patcnt- 1. The combination, with avships compass tive electrodes'which-beeome conductors of ally as described, of semi-- as described.

3. The combination of a ships' compass which is electrically connected with steeringi 5 gear, with the lamp, compass-card provided with an opening, and sensitive electrodes whereby the intensity'of the electric current may be varied in the line of said electric connection, as and for the purposes specified.

Jlm'ss A. TILDEN.-

Witnesses: n I

- A. E. PILLSBURY,

OLIVER C. STEVENS. 

